Greece and Malta Finalize Tourism Partnership Deal

As part of ongoing efforts to expand to new markets and encourage synergies and exchange, the Greek Tourism Ministry entered into a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoU) with Malta this week.

On the sidelines of the 7the Mediterranean Tourism Forum held in Valletta, Malta this week, Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni and her Maltese counterpart Clayton Bartolo signed the MoU during a special ceremony.

The move comes months after Bartolo’s visit to Athens in the summer during which the two countries agreed to work together to increase tourist flows.

Under the agreement, Greece and Malta will be launching joint programs to attract tourists from long-haul markets, exchanging knowhow and best practices, taking initiatives to increase investments, developing promotional and marketing actions, and cooperating in tourism training and upskilling programs.

Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni and her Maltese counterpart Clayton Bartolo.

Among others, the ministers also discussed ways to attract international film producers through the development of thematic tourism products including religious, wine, gastronomy, wedding, and marine tourism.

One of the Greek tourism ministry’s key priorities is to introduce markets to lesser-known destinations and extend the tourist season beyond the traditional summer months. Additionally, efforts have been made over the last few years to establish Greece as an international film location. In 2020, the Greek government announced a 35-40 percent increase in the cash rebate for film productions made in Greece. Since then, dozens of international films have been shot on locations across Greece, establishing the country as a leading filming destination.